ABSTRACT
Although specificity was briefly described above, it is important to appreciate just how specific training and testing are in the development and monitoring of a gymnast. Early training of young athletes or the early stages of a long preparatory period may involve more ‘general’ training, also called ‘multilateral development’ (Bompa & Haff, 2009). However, specificity remains one of the most important principles involved in athlete training. A gymnast trains by performing on the apparatus, not by swimming or running. Although the gymnasts may get some training benefits from swimming and running, specificity garners the greatest return on training investment.
